Apart from health conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. there are many other factors which increase the chances for an individual to face heart diseases. Moreover, unhealthy lifestyle, low level of physical activities, and reduced nutrition levels also contribute in conditions like cardiovascular diseases and heart failure. Fortunately, most of the people who are working as healthcare providers know major risk factors of heart disease. However, there are many other risk factors which are still unknown to healthcare personnel.
Changes in risk factors of heart disease:
In the past few years, medical community has come across many such factors which have proven to contribute to heart problems. Being a healthcare provider, you must know these factors in order to understand the cause of heart issues of the patient rightly. These factors are:
Migraine: A study published in 2010 in the Neurology journal shows that individuals suffering from migraine have greater chances of facing heart problems. However, the connection between the two is still unclear, but researchers estimate that many people are more prone to both migraine and heart disease.
Oversleep: All of us know that sleeping less can affect our health adversely. Well, as per the recent studies, it is also proved that sleeping too much can also have damaging effects. A study published in 2003 in Archives of Internal Medicine shows that individuals who sleep for 9 or more hours are 38% more at the risk of getting coronary diseases.
Sleep apnea: There is no clear evidence to show that sleep apnea has a relation with heart diseases. However, it is estimated that individuals suffering from sleep apnea are at the risk of getting heart diseases.
Irregularity in menstrual cycle: Polycystic ovary syndrome (a problem that causes irregular menstrual cycle) can also increase the risk for women to face more heart diseases. Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome are also at a risk to have high levels of LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure. Also, these women are at a higher risk of getting a heart attack compared to other women.
Necessary training and certification:
Most of the healthcare professionals and first respondents have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. Along with the formal training, obtaining BLS certification ensures that an individual is impeccably ready to handle medical emergencies in and outside of a medical facility.
BLS course is mostly useful for paramedics and first respondents. They are taught all the necessary techniques and resuscitation procedures during the course. BLS certification is also recommended to individuals who work in daycare, parks, etc. and to teachers, security personals, and recreation professionals.
Furthermore, certifications like Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) are also recommended to obtain. These courses are considered as the next level of BLS certification. Individuals who have obtained ACLS can efficiently undertake following procedures:
- Respond to an unconscious patient
- Evaluate the cause of emergency
- Determine the treatment procedure
- In case of cardiac arrests, they can help regularize the breathing of patients
- They can take advanced clinical steps
These certifications need regular renewal. Validity of BLS certification is one year, whereas, validity of ACLS and PALS certification is two years. To know more about BLS, ACLS, and PALS, you can always checkout aclsed.com.
